This invention relates to a hollow body assembly, such as a tube or tunnel, which is composed of individual elements having mating tongue and groove connections in their front connecting surfaces. An annular cavity is formed between the tongue and the surface of the groove, the axial distance between the tongue and the surface of the groove being greater near the center of the tongue than at its edges.
Such a hollow body assembly is known from European Offenlegungsschrift No. 1 836. In this known hollow body assembly the pressure to force the elements one against the other is produced by a clamping band positioned at right angles to the connecting surfaces and parallel to the pressure forces, and which encompasses the entire assembly. In the case of relatively long hollow body assemblies, a greater length of band must be provided and, in the case of pipes or tunnels, it is not possible to encompass the hollow body longitudinally. Moreover, this known connection permits only a very restricted degree of movability of the elements with respect to each other.
An object of the invention is to improve the joining of individual elements which make up a hollow body in such a way that clamping devices which are short in length and small in size are sufficient. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to improve elements of the above-mentioned type in such a way that they have a large degree of mobility in relation to one another as well as being of the simplest construction and having a high degree of tightness.